Jackson County Gas

With crude oil prices at its highest since last fall folks all over the Panhandle are feeling the pinch in the pocketbook.

People getting pumped for extra dollars at the gas pump seems to be a common theme, but when prices jump in some cases 10 cents overnight, it's alarming.

Darryl Blatzer says, "Pretty expensive; I just paid $40 to fill thing up just now. I'm not used to that. It's usually around 30."

Gas station managers say the rise in the price of crude oil has not made their job any easier.

Brad Warden, Sunoco GM, says, "We've seen 10-15 cents within the last two days. Just to be competitive, it's hard enough to do here. We're just pricing where we can actually survive."

Despite the reason, these sudden price increases aren't sitting well with consumers.

Judy Burnes says, "I live in Louisiana and I filled up for a $1.71 a gallon and we left this morning and now we're paying $1.99, so that's pretty high.”

As cars are being pumped full and their wallets are being pumped out of money, some people say they'll have to pay it anyway.

"Normally I drive a smaller van, but when we take a long trip we take a bigger van. Around town you can't afford the gas. On long trips you have to eat the cost if you want to do something."

The average price per gallon is $1.93 nationwide, and with spring break and summer coming up, analysts expect that price to do nothing more than continue to rise.

Some tips for saving at the pump include are using discount or rebate cards. Don't top off, studies have shown that a significant amount of gas is left in the hose or is lost to evaporation, and the most important thing you can do is keep your vehicle properly maintained. Something as simple as poor tire pressure can lead to 10 percent in lost gas mileage.

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